Teenagers, including younger teenagers, are on a process of self-discovery. Who they feel themselves to be may vary from day to day – and certainly varies from year to year. Acknowledging these shifts in an explicit way lets young people integrate that shift into their sense of self rather than being disconcerted by the changes. This lesson, continuing from the two posts earlier this week from Chapter 8 in Changes, Changes, Changes, provides a framework for young people to understand themselves and the way(s) other people perceive them.
PRESENTING IMAGES TO OTHERS
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Construct a character that illustrates physical characteristics, feelings and talents.
- Make observations about how individuals project messages about themselves to others.
Rationale:
Through the construction of inanimate characters, students participating in the lesson learn that it is possible to control some of the images and messages a person presents to others.
By focusing attention on the inanimate characters, the lesson provides a safe structure for examining physical traits, such as height and weight, while also expanding students’ understanding that a person is much more than his or her physical makeup.
Much like yesterday’s post, this one includes a creative approach to building an external representation of something to allow for conversation.
Creating art of any sort while talking about uncomfortable things is a great outlet for young people. It gives them something else to do with their eyes and their hands rather than staying so focused on the subject.
